


you light the spark in me

by emilia_kaisa



Category: Selfie (TV)
Genre: Camping, F/M, Falling In Love, Humor, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 18:34:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29248104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emilia_kaisa/pseuds/emilia_kaisa
Summary: Henry doesn't consider himself a demanding man, but there are also things he doesn't like, like when the ringtone of his alarm is too loud or when he can find only one sock.And most of all, Henry believes himself to hate surprises.
Relationships: Eliza Dooley/Henry Higgs
Comments: 6
Kudos: 9
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 6





	you light the spark in me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Othalla](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Othalla/gifts).



Henry Higgs likes a lot of things.

He likes his shirts smelling like his favourite fabric softener and starch, he likes his coffee with just the right amount of milk and sugar that only two baristas in town are able to prepare, and Henry thinks he won't risk drinking bad drinks in chase for more acceptable places. He likes when buses are on time and simply when everything is as it should.

Henry doesn't consider himself a demanding man, but there are also things he doesn't like, like when the ringtone of his alarm is too loud or when he can find only one sock.

And most of all, Henry believes himself to hate surprises.

That's why he's standing with his mouth open now, too stunned and trying to form the refusal that would be categorical and yet polite enough not to cost him his job.

Eliza, of course, doesn't have any restraints.

"Um, excuse me, but did you say camping? Well then I have to refuse, my hairdresser clearly stated my hair is allergic to fresh air."

"Yes, yes, and I'm allergic to mosquitos!" Henry blurts out, a little white lie, but then again, when was the last time he has been bitten by a mosquito? At least a decade earlier, who knows how his body would react now...

"No is not an option." Saperstein announces, folding his arms on his chest "This company relays on the team spirit, and this trip is crucial for us. This company-" he spreads his arms like he wants to hug them all, the tone of his voice turning solemn "This company depends on you, all of you. You need to be like a machine, working smoothly, like covered with our new baby oil."

Henry opens his mouth, too stunned to continue his fight, so he looks around, hoping for his colleagues to step in. But to his horror, he sees that most of the people seems to be enthusiastic about the ridiculous idead, and even Eliza doesn't look appaled anymore, and by the way she's tapping the screen of her phone, Henry can tell that she's already planning some selfies take in the nature that would maybe make her a queen of social media again.

Knowing that it's a losing battle, Henry surpresses a sigh and resigns himself to yet another surprise.

At this point Henry regrets not breaking his legs, or at least getting a stomach flu. After a terrible hike that felt like it took half of the day, even though Saperstein insists it has been barely two hours- they reach a forest glade on a gentle slope of the hill, and even Henry has to admit it's quite an attractive view. The grass is green and soft, with spots of colorful flowers and luckily no mud in sight, so that's a plus. And for a moment Henry thinks that it won't be that bad, that some time in natura would be actually nice, maybe help him reach some inner peace, not like he really needs it, but it sounds quite fine-

"Ouch!" Henry yelps, feeling a sting on his forearm and watches in horror as a fat mosquito is flying away, probably smiling smugly, belly full of his blood.

Eliza seems to be having different but not unexpected problems, running around with her arm stretched in search for just a tiny bit of reception. Others also don't look thrilled, looking around with visible lack of enthusiasm or tapping their phones.

"I chose this place carefully, my friends!" Saperstein announces, visibly proud of himself "No reception, no kitchen and no bathroom, so we can fully focus on what's the most important between us- connection! Not the phone one, but between us!"

"Excuse me, did I hear no bathroom?" Eliza asks, and Henry has to admit even after the hike she still looks quite fabulous in her green top and shorts, not that Henry pays attention to that; for now, he shares Eliza's horror, becasue lack of toilet and shower with the right water pressure would be a true inconvenience...

"It's like going back to the roots." Larry says all of the sudden, bending his knees and looking around with a focused and quite terrifying expression "Time to turn to the wilderness, hunt for food, drink th-"

"We have food, Larry." Saperstein says "But you and Terrance can go find some branches for the fire-"

Terrance looks like he wants to oppose, but Larry's eyes flash with a primal caveman spark and he grabs his hand, dragging him away.

"So what about that bathroom?" Eliza asks, stepping closer and raising her finger, eyes wide and waiting, and Saperstein smirks.

"I can't believe I'm doing it. This is crazy. I would make an instastory about it, but first, there's no connection, and second, I'm naked! Are you still not looking?”

"I'm not looking." Henry says dutifully, his back turned to Eliza.

As it turned out, the closest they could get to the shower is a river running in the far corner of the meadow. Eliza had a truly impressive fit that Henry didn't dare to interrupt, and then she turned to him and demanded for him to go with her, to guard her privacy and also hold her clothes.

If Freddy was there, he would probably be the one helping Eliza out, but he claimed he has to attend his grandma's funeral- not that Henry was keeping tabs, but that would be his fifth or sixth grandma.

So there he is, shifting his weight from one foot to another. He's feeling odd but not uncomfortable, and he can't quite navigate what he's feeling. He's for sure tired, but also weirdly jittery, so he focuses on watching the rest of the team running around trying to prepare the camp.

Well, at least one thing he was spared from.

"Henry, the towel?"

Henry flinches and his first instinct is to turn around, but then he remembers how the situation looks like and he quickly finds the towel in the bundle in his arms and reaches out, breathing out with relief when Eliza takes it.

"Thank you." she says, and her voice is softer than before, almost shy, and Henry truly has to fight with himself not to actually turn around. He hands Eliza her clothes and doesn't move until she says she's ready, and even then he hesitates, just in case.

And when he does turn around, he loses his breath for just a second.

Eliza looks so young like that, younger than usual; all the makeup washed down, her skin slightly pink from cold water, ends of hair hair wet and a loose t-shirt covering her frame.

Henry doesn't realize he's staring until she tilts her head and gives him a smile, half teasing and half shy.

"It's very refreshing, do you want to try?"

"I'll pass, thank you." Henry says quickly, flinching at the mere thought "Let's go back to the rest."

It's truly a camp now, with a fireplace and three tents standing around. Raj and Charlie are trying to impale some marshmallows on the sticks, and Larry is crouching nearby, clearly channeling his inner Rambo. Henry would think of analyzing the scene further, but he's too focused on a mission to find his bug spray to notice his surroundings.

He comes back to reality only when Saperstein clears his throat and rubs his hand with suspicious eagerness.

"I've been the head of this company for long." he starts, hitting that solemn tone again "And after so many years, I need bodning only with mother nature!" he exlaims dramatixally, pointing at the foam camping mat splayed near to the fire

"But you, my dear friends, will have to learn how to cooperate with each other. So, Eliza!" he turns to her, eyes sprakling "Who would you like to share a tent with?"

"I can take my sleeping bag outside." Henry offers stiffly and Eliza huffs with annoyance. She's probably rolling her eyes, but Henry can't see that in the darkness filling the tent.

After a lot of puting and huffing Eliza pointed to Henry as her tent copanion, which wasn't very surprising and kind of flattering, but now Henry isn’t sure how to deal with that brand new situation.

The tent isn't very big but he's doing fine; Eliza, on the other hand, with her long legs now hidden in a blue sleeping bag, has to curl a little, so her knees are pressing against him. It's not like he can exactly feel her, stucj in his own sleeping back, but the connection is definitely here and he has no idea how to handle it.

"Don't be ridiculous, Henry." she huffs "I won't let you go there, I don't want to be the one finding your blodless body in the morning..."

"Well that's rather gruesome." Henry mutters and then, before he can stop himself, he adds "I know you wish Freddy was here, but-"

"I told you, stop being ridiculous!" Eliza exclaims, and now she's really sounding annoyed "I'm perfectly comfortable! Aren't you?"

Henry swallows hard, and he thinks that in the darkness surrounding them, he can almost see the outline of Eliza's face.

And he doesn't know which crazy force drives him as he reaches out, his hand finding Eliza's hair and his heart maybe, just maybe, finding an answer to a question he has been too afraid to ask himself.

"I am."

He can see anything still, but he can swear he senses Eliza is smiling, and then she draws in a short, soft breath.

“Goodnight, Henry.” she says gently, reaching to find his hand that has been resting on the top of her head, and she guides it down to her cheek, their fingers linked.

“Goodnight, Eliza.” Henry mutters, to awestruck to react in any other way.

But in the end, some moments don’t need anything else.

So Henry closes his eyes, and smiles.

**Author's Note:**

> It's my first work for this couple and it was a fun challenge! I hope you enjoyed and thank you so much for reading!


End file.
